© KEYSTONE/EPA/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT
Marco Odermatt was present in the first round of the Olympic giant on Sunday in Yanqing.
The Nidwalden set the fastest time, but with a tiny margin over his pursuers. Justin Murisier and Loïc Meillard have experienced elimination.
In the snow and in terrible visibility conditions, Marco Odermatt beat Stefan Brennsteiner (2nd) by 0”04, Mathieu Faivre (3rd) by 0”08, Henrik Kristoffersen (4th) by 0”12 and 0 ”19 Thibaut Favrot (5th). The fight between these five men promises to be sumptuous in the second round, from 6:45 am Swiss time.
Winner of four of the five giants contested this winter, Marco Odermatt might have offered himself a more comfortable margin without a big mistake committed at the top of the course. “It was a brutal fight, from the first to the last gate. It was very difficult to ski with this fresh snow”, he explained to the microphone of the RTS.
Gino Caviezel is the only other Helvetian to have reached the finish of this first round. The podium remains within reach of Graubünden, 10th at 0”97 from Marco Odermatt, even if he will have to pull out all the stops on the second course.
Murisier was wrong
Justin Murisier said he made a mistake in his settings. “I noticed from the second gate that I had no grip. I did not find the solution”, explained the Bagnard, 4th in the combined in these games. “When you come to the Olympics, it’s to win a medal. I don’t have one,” he concluded.
Loïc Meillard, who will still have the slalom to recover in Beijing, suffered from the lack of visibility. “You have to attack, but it’s hard to know what’s going on under your feet in these conditions,” said the skier from Hérémence, who made a mistake following touching the snow with a shoe.
